First titled, ‘Little French Girl, Little French Boy’ it was later re-written as the instrumental Casino Royale theme with a version that was also accompanied by lyrics sung by Mike Redway, after Johnny Rivers declined. In his autobiography Bacharach wrote, “By the time I started working on the picture, all the directors had already left so there was no one to tell me where the music should start and where it should stop.”įeldman requested Bacharach and David write a “baroque” tune for the opening titles. Feldman first gave him the script as early as August 1965 and he flew to London with David in October 1967 to start work on the picture to write as Variety reported, “half a dozen ditties”. Bacharach’s work on the picture would span a punishing two years. Producer Feldman then invited him to join his zany Bond spoof ‘Casino Royale’. Bacharach rightfully said, “There’s nothing wrong with writing something people can whistle.”Īlthough Bacharach had written many songs for film, his first foray into composing came in 1965 with ‘What’s New Pussycat?’ and with David, wrote the title track, sung for Tom Jones.

The songs were commercial, catchy, and classy as well as being musically complex. Highlights included songs for Gene Pitney, The Walker Brothers, Aretha Franklin, and Dusty Springfield but it was with Dionne Warwick, with who they enjoyed their greatest partnership, with tracks including ‘Walk on By’, ‘Do You Know the Way to San Jose?’ and ‘I’ll Never Fall In Love Again.’ Their work was never considered fashionable, but it was never out of fashion either.

Into the 1960s, they continued to write hit after hit. Their first hits ‘The Story of My Life’ sung by Marty Robbins and ‘Magic Moments’ recorded by Perry Como were both number one in the UK and began a winning streak for the duo.

After his military service, he found work as a composer and arranger as well as a piano accompanist on the club circuit.īacharach’s lengthy collaboration with lyricist, Hal David, began in 1957 when they met at the famous Brill Building in New York where many songwriters and music publishers were based. At McGill University in Montreal, Bacharach studied musical theory and later at the New School in New York.

Early on, he learned the drums, piano, and cello and showed an avid interest in jazz musicians such as Thelonius Monk and Charlie Parker. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, on, Bacharach’s father was a sports star and later a noted newspaper columnist, while his mother, Irma Freemann, was an artist and songwriter.

Casino royale 1967 soundtrack album